


Acquiesce

by CrypticFondness, ItIsWhatItIs9194



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Additional Tags to Be Added, Alternate Universe, BDSM, Bondage, Bottom Harry, Caring Louis, College/University, Curious Harry, Discipline, Dom Liam, Dom Louis, Dom/sub, Kink Negotiation, M/M, Older Louis, Protective Louis, Punishment, Shy Harry, Spanking, Sub Harry, Sub Zayn, Top Louis, Younger Harry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-20
Updated: 2019-08-20
Packaged: 2019-10-13 13:51:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17489219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrypticFondness/pseuds/CrypticFondness, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ItIsWhatItIs9194/pseuds/ItIsWhatItIs9194
Summary: Harry is an innocent, awkward, and curious lad in his first year of Uni. Louis, a senior, is confident, experienced, and caring enough to ensure he gets proper answers. Feelings develop as Louis teaches Harry that BDSM is so much more than kinky sex. Harry wants to submit, but he's very reluctant. Only Harry can decide if he'll submit or walk away.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Hi loves! Surprise! Here’s a new fic, but with a different co-author this time! Teddy1008 and I are still writing together, of course, but we’re both exploring our writing styles with other authors as well. 
> 
> The lovely Crypticfondness and I decided to write this fic to help educate people on how BDSM relationships should be carried out. We wanted to show people how Dom/sub relationships should be (I.e. non-abusive, safe, sane, and consensual!). With that being said, if you have any questions about BDSM relationships or just BDSM in general, please don’t hesitate to ask! We’re hoping to help a lot of subs (and even Doms) who may be falling victim to abuse. 
> 
> *The article in this chapter was found online and is not ours. 
> 
> We hope you enjoy, loves! <3

Harry’s job was usually pretty boring. There wasn’t much that was interesting about the library. Students of all ages just came there to simply study and work.

 

Harry needed the extra money, because he was just an eighteen year old university student. His dad paid his rent but everything else was on him.

 

He always put on a positive attitude before work. It was easy because he knew he was getting paid and not just sitting bored in his flat. Anything was better than sitting around bored out of his mind.

 

He really didn’t have much to do on the job. He'd have a few books to resend sometimes. Occasionally, he’d have to tell some students off for being too loud. Often he’d have to clean up some tables that students left covered in wrappers and Starbucks cups. Other than that, he usually sat behind the desk and watched the action around him, _which wasn’t much_.

 

Gemma, his older sister, had quite a few friends. She was popular on campus. A small group of her friends always hung around in the library. They’d say hi to him and be friendly, but wouldn’t do or say much else. He was just her dorky little brother after all.

 

He spotted the three girls laughing and watching what he assumed to be a YouTube video on one of their laptops, along with several other regular library goers. Nothing unusual about it.

 

One person in particular always caught his eye. He was almost always in the library around two to four thirty on weekdays during Harry’s hours, and he was always on his laptop. Harry hadn’t ever paid too much attention to him, but he’d always thought he was incredibly attractive.

 

He’d never really had much luck with romance. Harry was a little bit nerdy and always focused on his psychology studies. He didn’t try to get involved in that kind of thing very often. It was a distraction.

 

Instead he chose to watch this lad from afar, wishing he knew more about him or had the courage to talk to him. He looked a lot older than Harry. He was probably a senior, and Harry was a freshman so he didn’t stand a chance. For Harry the young man would just have to be eye candy.

 

It was a waste of time to dwell on that though. He had work to do. The library was where he often got a lot of his homework and assignments done. He always tried to take advantage of the time he had there. Unzipping his rucksack he pulled out his Psychology 101 textbook. He flipped to the pages his professor had assigned for reading.

 

It was about mental health disorders like PTSD, OCD, and anxiety disorders, and he found the topics really interesting. He actually didn’t even mind reading in his textbook for homework. He loved learning new stuff and he was incredibly passionate about his major.

 

There were twenty-five pages he needed to read, and each page took him quite a while because he needed to read slowly in order to absorb all of the information. He became engrossed in the reading easily, fascinated by what he was learning, so much so that he had tuned out the world around him.

 

“Excuse me, love, have you got any extra phone chargers I can borrow?”

 

Harry looked up, closing his book, inwardly groaning because he’d forgotten to mark his page.

 

The amazingly attractive lad he’d been eyeing since he started working at the library was now standing in front of him, hands in his pockets and eyebrows raised.

 

“Oh,” Harry breathed, “Um, yeah, I mean, yes I do, we do.” He cringed at his awkwardness, knowing he probably looked like a fool. “What kind?”

 

The young man smiled, obviously sensing Harry’s nervousness. “It’s an iPhone 8, love.” He was trying to hide his amusement.

 

“I uh, I have to get one of them from the back. Can I go get it and bring it to you in a minute?” Harry asked, licking his lips nervously. Never did he think he’d have the privilege of speaking to the lad he’d had his eyes on.

 

“Of course. But try to be quick though, love. My phone is probably going to die any minute now and I need it to do my work.” With that, the lad left and headed back to his table, leaving Harry to scramble to fetch the phone charger. He didn’t want to leave the incredibly attractive lad waiting.

 

The younger lad let out a deep breath when he reached the storage room. He fumbled with the keys, trying to unlock it, hoping the man wasn’t watching him. He felt his cheeks turn red at the thought. When he finally got the door open, he headed straight for the chargers and grabbed the appropriate one. After uncoiling it, he went back to the desk and scanned it on the scanner so he would have a record that it was checked out. He then prepared himself to approach the lad’s table.

 

Meanwhile, Louis was getting his books out and setting up to study as he waited. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, so he pulled it out to see a text from his best mate, Liam.

 

 _‘Lou, just found this awesome webpage with lots of techniques for restraining subs. You have to check it out!_ ’ The text read. It was quickly followed by a link.

 

Knowing his phone was about to die at any moment Louis quickly typed the link into the web browsers on his laptop. As the site came up he read the title ‘The Art of Submission’ but quickly wrinkled his nose at the photo of a woman’s breast. Louis certainly wasn’t heterosexual.

 

Louis kept reading despite the photo. He knew Liam was fully aware of his sexual orientation and so he had faith Liam knew exactly what he was sharing was something Louis would like.

 

Scrolling down, the first paragraph was titled, _‘BONDAGE AND RESTRAINTS 101_ ’. It was bold and easily readable in the white font on the black background. Louis didn’t care who saw however.

 

At this same moment Harry approached him from behind. Harry was about to speak when the words on the screen caught his eye. He knew it was rude to read over a person's shoulder, but he couldn’t seem to pull himself away from reading the paragraph under the title.

 

 _‘A is for apple… B is for bondage… Let’s talk about restraints! Bondage or restraints is an excellent tool for anyone who has ever encountered a bottom that just will not stay still and accept their punishment. Maybe you need to use both your hands during a session or scene, and you can’t afford to use your body weight to hold your submissive down. Whatever the reason, bondage has got your back._ ’

 

Harry’s face felt flush as he read. It had him wanting to scroll down and read more. That little bit had him completely captivated and curious.

 

Louis, however, could now feel a presence just behind him. He sat still for a moment wondering if whoever it was would interrupt. When the person didn’t, Louis finally turned around.

 

As the attractive lad suddenly turned Harry’s eyes went wide and he awkwardly looked up toward the ceiling as though he hadn’t just been creeping and reading over his shoulder. Inwardly he facepalmed and hoped the groan he made wasn’t audible.

 

“Did you find an extra charger love?” Louis asked hiding how amused he was by the young lad. It was painfully obvious what he’d been doing. It was also obvious he was embarrassed however.

 

“I, uh, yeah, I mean yes.” Harry stuttered as he struggled to look at him. “Sorry, here you are. Just make sure you return it when you’re finished.” Harry held up the charger but due to his nerves and embarrassment didn’t actually hand it to the man.

 

Louis’ lips pursed as he held back a smirk. He sat for a moment waiting and secretly checking Harry out. Finally however his phone beeped and alerted him again that it was low, prompting him to speak, “The charger. May I have it now sweetheart?”

 

Louis purposefully used the pet name just so he could see if the young lad would grow even more awkward.

 

Of course Harry’s face flushed red as he held out the charger, “I’m sorry. So sorry. Uh here, here you are.” When the man took the charger from his almost trembling hands Harry wished he could disappear.

 

Much to his joy and relief however a co-worker saved him by calling out for him. “Sorry again. I, I’m needed over there.” Harry awkwardly pointed and then fought off a whimper as he walked away quickly.

 

Louis smiled; he couldn’t help it. The young employee was awkward in the most adorable way possible. After quickly plugging his phone in he pulled up his text with Liam and replied, ‘ _Mate, that intro is cheesy as fuck._ ’ He then followed it up with another text, _‘I swear that little lad who works in the library was reading it over my shoulder though._ ’

 

 _‘Cheesy? You're cheesy._ ’ Liam sent back a very lame reply. Of course then he responded to Louis’ other text, ‘ _Dorky, curly haired kid with the green eyes? Can't remember his name. He's got a popular sister though; name is Gemma._ ’

 

 _‘That’s the one. He's cute when he's all flushed and embarrassed. I think he knows I’m aware he was reading over my shoulder._ ’ Louis replied as he sat still with a smile on his face.

 

 _‘You scolded him yeah?’_ Liam asked in response.

 

 _‘No, I really should have, though he honestly may have wet himself from embarrassment if I had_.’ Louis replied and audibly laughed. The little lad truly had caught his attention in a pleasant way.

 

 _‘Oh God, if you ever get to speak to him again you should tell him off a bit! Serves him right and I know you’d take joy in doing it._ ’ Liam sent back with a laughing emoji.

 

Louis shook his head. Liam really did know him very well. ‘ _If I can remember I will. Something tells me he was really intrigued by what he saw so a little verbal scolding might be fun for he and I both._ ’

 

It only took a moment for another text to come back, _‘Yes, if you’re right and he really was curious his response and reaction to your getting on to him will confirm it. The campus could use a few more submissives.’_

 

Liam was absolutely right on both counts. The last comment Louis knew he only made because he was without a sub of his own however. Liam was a very good dominant but he didn’t do single very well.

 

‘ _I agree with you. You’re starting to sound a bit needy though. Better be careful or I’ll have to make you my sub._ ’ Louis teased as he often did.

 

 _‘Fuck off Tomlinson._ ’ Liam replied back.

 

_____

 

Harry was so flustered after his encounter with Louis. He couldn’t stop thinking about it, going over all the details in his head. Louis probably thought he was stupid and a little baby because he couldn’t even hold a conversation. Thankfully, his co-worker had saved him, though. He sighed. He really needed to work on his social skills.

 

He couldn’t wait to head back to his apartment, get in bed, and wallow in his own embarrassment. His shift had thankfully ended, so he arranged for an Uber to come pick him up, as he always did since he lived off campus. His mum and dad didn’t want to grant him the privilege of having a car on campus yet, so taking Ubers would have to do for now.

 

His Uber driver was nice enough, and Harry was thankful he wasn’t talkative so he could just keep to himself and think on the short ride back. He couldn’t get his interaction with the unnamed man out of his mind. What he saw on his laptop shocked and embarrassed him. He remembered when he first heard about kinky sex as a young teenager. He’d never known there was more to sex than just, well, _sex_ , until he and his friends started talking about their relationships and various porn they’d seen. Being only fourteen, Harry was innocent and naive. His parents had always kept him rather sheltered, and he never had a desire to get involved in a relationship or anything remotely sexual. Even vanilla sex was incredibly new territory to him, so the world of kinky sex was even newer.

 

It had intrigued him ever since. He’d been too scared to look too much up, but he did a little bit of research. There were a lot of blogs online talking about ‘BDSM’ and kinky sex, many of which talked about a Dominant partner and a submissive partner. He read about how the submissive, or sub, as he learned they were most often called, had to obey the Dominant, or Dom’s, every word. And if they didn’t, they’d get punished. The entire concept appalled hm and sounded quite wrong in his opinion. But despite his thoughts, he couldn’t help but still be intrigued by it. He’d been having this inward battle with himself for a long time now, always feeling like he wanted to explore more but feeling like it was wrong. His knowledge in the field of psychology also screamed at him that this kind of relationship was abusive.

 

But there was also that part of him trying to convince himself it wasn’t.

 

“We’re here, lad,” the Uber driver announced. Harry snapped his head up, thanking him, and got out of the car quickly.

 

When Harry was accepted into Uni and announced he wanted to live off campus his mother had insisted on him living in the same apartments that his sister had when she started university. The concept was that young people starting university were paired up together in a flat. It allowed the rent to be cheaper as it was split between them and it also meant they didn’t have to be living alone in a big city. The bedrooms were chosen by whoever had lived in that unit the longest.

 

As Harry walked into the flat he saw both of his flatmates were home. Niall was in the kitchen, the most common place to find him. Zayn however was on the sofa watching a film.

 

“Our working lad is home!” Niall teased. He was always full of energy and jokes. “How was your day honey? Should I make you a snack?” He asked in a feminine tone.

 

“Yes mummy. I want a peanut butter and jelly with no crust.” Harry replied in a sarcastic tone as he rolled his eyes. He didn’t mean to snap at him; he was just feeling moody due to having embarrassed himself.

 

“Rough day in the library?” Zayn asked having heard the tone in Harry’s voice. It was often he was temperamental.

 

“Sorry Hazza, was just being funny.” Niall apologized.

 

“No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have… I just…” Harry sighed and let himself fall dramatically onto the sofa next to Zayn. “I made a fool of myself in front of an attractive older student. I was a stuttering idiot and he probably thinks I’m the most lame person on campus.”

 

Zayn frowned as he paused the film and turned to Harry, “I’m sure it wasn’t that bad. Maybe you’re just being a little extra hard on yourself?”

 

“You’re often hard on yourself. Tell us what happened?” Niall asked walking over with a plate of nachos and a Guinness.

 

“Beer this early?” Zayn asked the lad.

 

“I’m Irish. We drink any time of day.” Niall replied. “Now hush and let Harry tell us what happened.”

 

Harry sighed deeply and closed his eyes for a moment. He couldn’t tell them what happened. Telling them what happened would mean having to tell them about reading the kinky website and he just couldn’t bring himself to do it.

 

“Maybe Harry doesn’t want to tell us.” Zayn reasoned. Being the oldest in the flat he often was the voice of reason or the peacemaker.

 

“We’re his best buddies. Of course he wants to tell us. Don’t you Harry?” Niall pushed as he sat on the floor near the coffee table.

 

“I wouldn’t call you lads my best friends. I haven’t even known you an entire year yet. We’re friends but… the word best doesn’t fit yet. Sorry.” Harry frowned.

 

“Okay, I understand that I guess but you can still tell us.” Niall replied a bit more quietly.

 

“I… I’m really tired Niall. Thanks for being willing to listen and give advice but I’m just not interested in talking right now. It’s too embarrassing. I’m sorry.” He frowned more and stood. “I’m just gonna go to my room.”

 

Niall opened his mouth to stop him but Zayn cut him off, “Leave him alone Niall. He doesn’t have to tell us. If it was something embarrassing you did you would t want to tell people either.”

 

“Maybe later okay? Just not right now Ni.” Harry tried to make sure Niall knew he wasn’t meaning to be rude. He then continued on to his room where he could sulk in private.


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy, loves! <3

University hadn’t been kind to any of the students, particularly Louis whose professors had piled on the work. Louis greatly looked forward to the day when _he_ would be the one handing out work and grading assignments rather than receiving them.

 

He returned to the library after his afternoon lecture to get his work done, as usual, but he could not get his younger sister to stop talking.

 

“Yeah, Lots, I get it.” Louis rolled his eyes. His sister was only fifteen, still in secondary school, yet she was going on and on about how much she loved her boyfriend. She was sure they were going to get married in a few years.

 

He didn’t want to bring her down or anything, but it was obvious that wasn't going to happen. “Hey, love, I’ve really got to go and do my work. I’m glad you’re happy though, Lots. I really am.” He tried to get her off the phone again.

 

She finally listened and said she’d talk to him soon, to which he agreed. He loved all of his sisters, especially Lottie since they were the closest in age and had a special bond. His sisters were incredibly chatty however. Granted, he was as well, but that didn’t matter.

 

With a sigh, Louis finally reached the library and pulled the door open. He was pleased to discover his usual spot was vacant, because he really wasn’t in the mood to deal with any inconveniences right now.

 

As he took his seat and placed all of his study materials on the table, he glanced over at the front desk. The little curly-haired lad, Harry, if he remembered correctly, was sitting there. Louis caught him blushing as he noticed he was caught staring, and the older boy inwardly chuckled. It seemed like the younger boy was always trying to be sneaky.

 

Turning back around, Louis pulled his phone out and sent a text to Liam, ‘ _I’m in the library. Curly lad is working again.’_

 

 _‘Mate, I dare you to ask him if he plans on reading over your shoulder again. XD’_ Liam sent back.

 

 _‘You dare me? Fine. It should be fun anyway.’_ Louis almost laughed and replied.

 

Liam responded with a smiling devil emoji and another text saying, ‘ _Let me know how he responds to it. I bet the kid is a sub. Now is your chance to find out.’_

 

Louis fondly rolled his eyes but smirked mischievously at the idea. He did find the little lad quite cute, his painful awkwardness and shyness adorable. He had a hunch the kid was a sub, too, and there was one way to find out.

 

He honestly hoped he was a sub or at least a little bit interested in BDSM. He would definitely quite like to get to know the lad a bit better. He was too cute to pass up. Not to mention he seemed to have a lot of sub qualities that Louis liked.

 

 _‘Alright Payno. I’m doing it. I’m a bit curious myself as well.’_  He sent the text to Liam and then pocketed his phone. Standing up and scooting his chair in he headed over to the front desk where Harry sat. The boy looked to be doing some studying.

 

 _Such a good boy_ , Louis thought fondly. He could tell Harry was trying not to look up at him, trying to appear apathetic, but it wasn’t working out too well. The boy was too obvious in everything he did.

 

“Hey there, love,” Louis greeted, putting his hands on the counter and leaning over the desk. He peered down at Harry’s workspace. “What are you working on there?”

 

Louis saw no reason to pretend to need something just to talk to Harry. He was assertive enough to strike up the conversation without unnecessary frills.

 

Harry immediately blushed, looking away from the intimidating lad’s gaze. “Um, it’s psychology,” he said shyly. “Just a bit of, um, reading.”

 

Louis grinned. “You must be smart then, I take it. Hmm?” He wanted to see if complimenting the lad got any sort of reaction out of him.

 

“Um, I don’t know, I guess? Not really. Um, thank you, though,” Harry stammered, unsure of how to accept Louis’ compliment. His cheeks were on fire.

 

“So, since you’re clearly quite an intelligent lad, I take it you aren’t planning on reading over my shoulder again today are you, babe?” Louis asked the boy, making sure to turn his expression stern and raise his eyebrows questioningly.

 

Harry’s eyes went wide. “I, I uh,” His heart began to race and his mouth went dry, “I’m not, I won’t uh, I mean no. No uh Sir.” It was obvious he felt a bit mortified.

 

“Good. Although, it never should have happened in the first place. You should know better.” Louis began to scold him as he would any sub. “I’m sure you would be unhappy if someone spied on you while you were on your laptop, yeah? It’s incredibly impolite to snoop on other people’s laptops, don’t you agree?”

 

Harry now felt even more scared than before. This lad seemed honestly upset and that wasn’t good. One complaint could get him fired. “I’m so sorry, Sir,” He quickly told him as his nerves made his body shake ever so slightly. “Are, are you going to,” Harry felt extremely worried. “Are you going to tell m–my boss? I, I’m really so sorry.”

 

Louis pursed his lips and crossed his arms over his chest. “Hmm, what should I do with you?” He tapped his foot and purposefully looked rather cross at Harry.

 

Louis was hoping to have gotten a read on Harry by now but he still wasn’t sure if he thought Harry was a sub. It was entirely plausible that Harry was just a shy lad who was scared of losing his job. Louis would just have to keep going with him.

 

“I’m afraid I’ll need a bit of time to decide on a proper punishment for your behavior.” Certainly that would help give away if this lad was into BDSM or not. The word ‘punishment’ would get to any sub.

 

Harry’s face heated and flushed bright red. He couldn’t believe what he’d heard. “Pu–punish—”  He struggled to get the word out. “Punishment?” He felt a strong sense of humiliation mixed with both concern and genuine wonder.

 

Louis bit back a smirk as he watched Harry react. It was obvious now that this young lad was at the very least intrigued by the BDSM world. As a Dom it was simply obvious. It was also obvious to Louis that he’d make a beautiful sub—if he wanted to be one of course.

 

Keeping his composure and continuing to test and tease Harry he replied, “Yes, love.” He took a few steps away as he dropped his arms and tucked his thumbs into his pockets. “I’ll let you know when I’ve decided on a punishment for you.” Louis then gave Harry a wink and turned, going back to his table.

 

As he reached his table and sat down he pulled his phone back out and grinned from ear to ear as he sent Liam a text, ‘ _That was amazing. He was so flustered and adorable. I don’t think he is a sub but I think he’s curious about it all. His face when I told him I had to think on a punishment said it all.’_

 

Liam quickly replied back with a laughing emoji and then sent a text, ‘ _You told him you had to think on a punishment? Louis that’s brilliant. What is he doing now?’_

 

Louis quickly glanced over his shoulder in Harry’s direction and smiled a bit fondly. He then sent a reply to Liam, ‘ _Looking upset and pacing around the desk. My first sub used to pace when waiting on a punishment.’_

 

_‘Aww poor lad. Certainly seems to be sub material. What’re you going to do with him now?’_

 

Right as Louis began to reply, he noticed Harry had started to head his way. He quickly sent his text to Liam before the lad reached his table. _‘He’s coming over here right now. I’m going to talk to him.’_ He pocketed his phone once again, just as Harry had arrived at his table.

 

The lad looked incredibly awkward, as he often did, as he stood there and shifted from foot-to-foot. “Um, are you, um, really going to, um, p–punish me, um Sir?” he asked Louis, twiddling his fingers nervously. He didn’t make eye contact with Louis once, either.

 

Louis’ eyes softened. He kind of felt bad for the lad. “No, love. I’m not going to punish you. But you understand that what you did was wrong, yeah?” He raised his eyebrows, testing him again. He wanted to get to know more about the boy.

 

“Yes, yes, uh, Sir. I do.” Harry nodded his head vigorously. He then swallowed hard and ruffled his hair. There was something he wanted to know and he was feeling a bit too shy to ask.

 

“What is it love?” Louis could easily sense the lad had a question.

 

“I was just wondering… w–what would you have done if you were, uh, actually serious about p–punishing me, uh Sir?” He stammered, feeling the heat rising in his cheeks. What an embarrassing question.

 

Louis smirked at how Harry kept addressing him as ‘Sir.’ He definitely was submissive, but he might not be a sub. Louis thought he would for sure make a great one, however. “You’re being such a polite boy, love. Being so respectful,” he complimented.

 

Harry blushed once again, avoiding Louis’ gaze. “Thank you,” he murmured quietly. “But um, what would you have, um, done?” He was so curious now, especially after having tried to find that website on his own.

 

“Why don’t you sit with me and we can chat for a little while, love. I can tell you’re curious. There’s nothing wrong with that, either. Why don’t you ask me some questions, I’ll answer them to the best of my ability, and I can ask you some questions?”

 

“But, my uh, my job,” Harry stammered. “I can’t leave during my shift.”

 

Louis smiled. Such a good boy already. “That’s fine, love. If someone comes over I’ll explain what’s going on to them. You’ve nothing to worry about.”

 

Harry felt nervous about sitting and talking on his shift but he really wanted to talk to this lad. He’d been trying to look up some information on what he’d seen him looking at but he couldn’t figure it all out.

 

“Y–Yeah, okay.” Harry nodded and took a seat next to him. “Uh, I’m Harry by the way. Not Harold or Harrison. Just plain Harry.” He introduced himself awkwardly. “Oh, and I really am sorry for reading over your shoulder. I didn’t mean to at first but then I saw some of what it said and became…” He paused to find the right word. “I was curious.”

 

“Curious, hmm?” Louis asked. His demeanor softened now a bit. He didn’t want to scare Harry away by being too dominant right now. “Well, my name is Louis. If you’re curious about any of that I’d rather you ask me. I’d be happy to answer any of your questions.”

 

Harry licked his lips and nodded. “Thank you, uh, Louis. I just, I've read about that stuff but I don’t really, I don’t know that I understand. There’s a lot of conflicting information.”

 

“Of course, love. What’s confusing you? How much do you think you know right now?” Louis asked, giving Harry his full attention.

 

“Well, I know it’s all about one person wanting to control everything. Like, with their partner,” Harry announced, his first trace of confidence appearing.

 

Louis’ eyes widened, the older man clearing his throat. “Where’d you hear that?” he asked the boy seriously. This wasn’t off to a good start at all. This sweet, innocent boy had the completely wrong idea of BDSM, which was potentially extremely dangerous. Louis hoped to fix that.

 

Harry could sense the disapproval in Louis’ tone. “Um, online?” he replied timidly, avoiding eye contact. “That’s what all sorts of websites on, um, this lifestyle say.”

 

“BDSM, love,” Louis corrected. “If you’re interested in it, you’re going to have to get more comfortable speaking openly about it. Remember, there’s no judgment here, yeah?”

 

Harry nodded minutely, still feeling a bit squirmy.

 

“That notion is complete bullshit, love. BDSM is so much more than one person controlling another. It’s about love, care, and trust between two consenting individuals. I hope that I can help you realize that if you really do want to learn more.”

 

The younger boy shifted in his seat, squirming uneasily. He was embarrassed. He’d acted so confident in his answer but had already screwed things up. Louis probably thought he was stupid. “Um, I d–do. I want to learn more,” he told Louis. “If that’s okay?”

 

Louis nodded firmly. “Of course it is. Where do you think you want to start?” he asked, pulling up a word document on his computer to take notes for Harry. “I’m going to take notes as we go so I know I’m not missing anything important.”

 

Harry looked over Louis’ shoulder at the lad’s laptop screen, seeing a blank word document that the older boy was currently titling, _Harry’s Notes._ He blushed and leaned back farther in his chair when Louis looked over at him with a smirk. “Looking over my shoulder again love?” He teased.

 

“No,” Harry mumbled, looking away in embarrassment when Louis chuckled.

 

“Relax, love. It’s just a bit of fun,” he consoled. “Now let’s get started, shall we?” At Harry’s nod of agreement, Louis continued. “Let’s start with your questions. What curiosities come to your mind when thinking about BDSM?”

 

Harry took in a deep breath before speaking, incredibly embarrassed. “Uh, I sort of assumed from what I was reading that the... uh, s–su—the you know—was allowed or um, was meant to feel a bit small. I don’t mean the whole daddy and baby kink small. Just, lesser than the, uh, the dominant one. Was I wrong on that, too?”

 

Louis smiled softly. Harry was absolutely adorable. “Such an intelligent question,” he praised the boy. “Well, I can't exactly give you a straight answer on that one. Many submissives _do_ enjoy feeling small, which is why they have obedient, submissive personalities. But they don’t necessarily enjoy feeling small in a bad way. They enjoy pleasing their Dominants, because pleasing and doing for others makes them happy. For subs, feeling small is a good thing, so long as the sub wishes to feel that way.”

 

“What does that mean, then?” Harry asked, furrowing his eyebrows curiously.

 

“Dominants and submissives are equals. There’s a common misconception that the Dom is above the sub, but that’s not the case. Really, the sub has the majority of the say in the relationship since they have the ability to safeword out. Have you read about safewording?”

 

Harry shook his head no. That was one of the things about potential subs learning about BDSM on the internet that truly frightened Louis. The lifestyle was often made to look like abuse because the proper protocol and precautions were never mentioned online or in pornography. That was one of the main reasons why Louis prohibited his subs from watching porn, too.

 

“Having a safeword is essential to a Dom/sub relationship. Most Dom/sub couples use the stoplight system, which I find to be the most efficient. The sub can use the stoplight system whenever they wish to do so—and even the Dom can as well. But the Dom often asks the sub for his color, as it’s often called, just to make sure they know how the sub is feeling. If you were my sub, I’d be asking you for your color quite frequently.”

 

Harry blushed at the thought of being Louis’ sub, his stomach tingling at the thought. It sounded amazing.

 

“If the sub says they are ‘green,’ then they are fine with everything that is going on and wish to continue. If the sub says they’re ‘yellow,’ they’re a little unsure about everything and want to pause to talk or take a break. And if the sub says they’re ‘red,’ they are definitely uncomfortable with the situation and have reached their limit. Everything stops if the sub—or Dom—colors ‘red.’”

 

“So then what if the s–sub–submissive... doesn’t exactly want to stop and talk or stop for a break but rather just like... like they need or want the dominant one to just, you know, back off slightly? Maybe that’s a bad choice of words. Not back off but lighten up slightly? I’m sorry. I’m sure that makes no sense.” Harry wiped his sweaty hands on his jeans.

 

Louis smiled. “Asking such good questions,” he complimented in a soothing voice. “Your question makes perfect sense. If the sub wants the Dom to lighten up, say, a punishment, then the sub would color ‘yellow.’ Once they color ‘yellow,’ the Dom would ask the sub how they’re feeling and why they colored, and the sub would have the opportunity to explain how they’re feeling. And if the sub wants the Dom to lighten up a little, then the Dom needs to listen.”

 

“Oh.” Harry nodded, hoping he understood correctly. “So if I—or I mean, a s–submissive—were to color ‘yellow’ because they didn’t like the punishment, then is that okay, too?”

 

Louis didn’t miss the slip-up on Harry’s part but decided not to comment on it. Instead, he furrowed his brows and shook his head before answering his question. “If the sub’s limits are being pushed and they truly feel as if they cannot take anymore, then it is always okay to color—no matter what might be taking place. But it would be dishonest of a sub to color out of a punishment just because they don’t want to be punished. Plus, if you ever find yourself in this lifestyle, you’ll come to learn that being punished is rejuvenating. Subs _need_ to be punished, or else they’ll feel guilty for their wrongdoing. So a sub wouldn’t necessarily color out of a punishment just because they don’t like it, because they _know_ that they need it.”

 

“Wait, it’s a real punishment? I thought it was just like a pain kink type thing,” Harry asked, surprised. He realized he asked that question rather loudly and immediately placed a hand over his mouth, cheeks reddening once again.

 

Louis chuckled fondly, gently pulling Harry’s hand away from his mouth. “Relax, love. No one heard. And even if they did, it doesn’t matter. You don’t need to care what other people think about these kinds of things.”

 

Harry nodded, still blushing.

 

Louis finished typing up notes on safewording on the document before he turned to face the younger boy again. “To answer your question, yes, love, punishments are real. If a submissive disobeys a rule, the Dominant may choose to dole out a punishment. Of course, the submissive always consents to the punishment, even though it is not enjoyable for them. This is because of what I said before, with subs needing—and _wanting_ —to be punished to get rid of their guilt for disobeying, misbehaving, or disappointing their Dom. Subs can have pain kinks, of course, and if they do, punishments don’t often include pain related things, then.”

 

“I don’t have a pain kink,” Harry blurted out. He didn’t want Louis to think he was a freak. What kind of person would actually _enjoy_ things like getting spanked or whipped or something?

 

“Did I say that you had a pain kink?” Louis raised a challenging brow.

 

“No,” Harry mumbled timidly, almost pouting. “But I’m just saying that I don’t.”

 

Louis grinned. “Ah. I see. So you don’t find the thought of getting spanked at all appealing? Or—“

 

“Nooo,” Harry interrupted, nearly whining. “I don’t. Stopppp.”

 

“I’d prefer it if you didn’t interrupt me, love,” Louis gently scolded the boy. “And that’s fine. You don’t have to have a pain kink. But I’m just saying: don’t put it past yourself to have one. It’s best to go into these kinds of relationships with an open mind. There are lots of things to explore and you may find that you actually enjoy a lot of them.”

 

“It’s sort of twisted to enjoy something meant to be a punishment though, yeah? I mean, that’s like... lame, and stupid and bad and... I’m not bad,” Harry rambled, seeming as if he was trying to convince himself of that fact.

 

Louis felt a twinge in his heart. Harry was definitely having trouble accepting who he truly is and what he likes, which he sees a lot of subs struggle with. Discovering your identity as a sub—or a Dom—can be incredibly daunting and terrifying. And it was clear Harry wasn’t sure what to do. “There’s nothing wrong with enjoying any sort of kink. As long as everyone is a legal, consenting adult, then what you like is completely okay, no matter how weird you or others might think it is,” Louis assured the lad. “And subs don’t enjoy punishments. If they did, it wouldn’t be a punishment, right?”

 

Harry nodded in understanding.

 

“Right. So if a sub has a pain kink, like I said, then pain typically won’t be involved in their punishment. Pain is often associated with bad things, but it doesn’t have to be,” Louis explained.

  
“If the uh, s–sub likes pain, what would their punishments be like then? Online they make punishments seem all about pain and fun and kink. It doesn’t talk anywhere that I found about real punishments, let alone what they would be. S–so I mean, like time outs or… I don’t know.”

 

Louis inwardly rolled his eyes at the horrific internet blogs he envisioned the boy had been reading. They were all full of absolute garbage. “Like I said, love, a lot of what the internet says is complete bullshit. Online, they make BDSM and punishments seem all about kink and sex. But they’re simply not.”

 

“So what would a, um, sub’s punishments be if they liked pain, then?” Harry asked again, fiddling with his fingers.

 

“Time outs could also be punishments, yes. But it’s best if the punishment fits the crime. So let’s say the sub left the house without their Dom’s permission and didn’t let them know where they were. A sufficient punishment might be the sub gets their phone taken away for a certain amount of time for failing to communicate efficiently with the Dom.”

  
“I need permission... uh, _they_ need permission to leave? Isn’t that a bit much if the relationship isn’t strictly about control? What if the sub doesn’t like a rule like that? Does he get a say? Can he color a rule as a red rule?”

 

“Slow down, love,” Louis instructed, a fond grin on his face. He loved when subs were curious. And he definitely caught Harry’s second slip-up, too. “If a sub doesn’t want to have a certain rule, then they have every right to tell their Dom that rule just isn’t going to work for them. If the rule is incredibly important to the Dom, however, the Dom and sub usually work out a compromise, but the sub is always agreeable to it. For instance, if I had this rule for my sub and they didn’t want to comply, I would compromise and maybe make it so they simply need to inform me when they’re leaving the house rather than asking permission. More lenient, yet still accomplishes the same goal and helps keep the sub safe. Understand?”

 

“That doesn’t sound so controlling at all. That makes it sound more, like the sub is being sort of...” Harry searched for the right words. “It’s like the sub is being looked after in an almost childlike manner. I think I like the idea of it being more about providing care and structure. Controlling a person how I thought it was just seems abusive,” Harry voiced his thoughts aloud.

 

Louis nodded, proud Harry was catching on. “Exactly. One of the main aspects of BDSM is providing care for and looking after the submissive. One of the Dominant’s main jobs is to guide their sub, and having specific rules for them to follow for their benefit helps accomplish that.”

  
Harry nodded, thinking Louis’ words over. “It’s kind of starting to feel like subs are submissive because life is less chaotic and anxiety driven when someone else is helping them live their life the best they can. Because you’ve made it clear it’s not at all about abusive control.”

 

“That’s part of it, yes. A big part of it. Subs enjoy giving themselves up to their Doms because it’s liberating, in a way. It puts them at ease and can also turn them on when things get sexual.”  
  
“But I still don’t know if I believe it’s a good lifestyle for everyone. I don’t think just anyone could be happy living that way. I know one of my roommates would never want to have a life like a Dominant or a sub. He’d probably feel like he’s either got too much responsibility or not enough say in his own life,” Harry told Louis, thinking out loud.

 

“You’re right, Harry, it’s not for everyone. Some people find it enjoyable and beneficial to them, but others don’t. It all just depends on what you think you’d want in a relationship and a lifestyle.”

“I don’t know what I think I’d want,” Harry almost whispered in a very serious tone. He appeared to be deep in thought now. It was a big thing to contemplate.

 

Nothing else could be said between the pair before an annoyed customer at the desk nearly shouted, “Does anyone even work here anymore? Where’s the curly kid?”

 

“Shit!” Harry cursed and stood. He’d forgotten all about his job and being on the clock. “I’m sorry, I need to go now.”

 

Louis almost smiled. “It’s alright, love. No need to apologize for doing your job. Why don’t you jot down your email for me? I’ll send you these notes and you can review them for our next chat.”

 

Harry quickly bit his lower lip so he could better fight a smile. “You’d be alright with another chat?” he asked, then worked to write out his email.

 

Louis nodded. Harry was honestly adorable. “Of course I’d be alright with it. I’m happy to answer any questions. After what you’ve learned on your own it’s safe to say you need me anyway.”


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi loves!!! We hope you enjoy this chapter!! As always, comments and kudos are greatly appreciated! :) <3 We’re happy to answer any questions you may have, too!! Don’t be shy haha x

Days later Harry found himself on the sofa trying to research more on some of the things Louis had told him about the BDSM world. One thing led to another and somehow he found himself reading a list of ‘100 Ways to Dominate Your Slave, Submissive.’

 

The more he read through the list the more concerned he became. This didn’t match anything he had in his head about punishments and things. On top of that this made him worry that BDSM could be hazardous to one's mental health.

 

Finally, after reading the fifth rule he decided it would be much better to just stop reading and email Louis. After all, he’d said he was happy to answer any questions.

 

He opened a new window and went to his email. He clicked on the email Louis had sent with notes from their talk and then clicked ‘reply.’

 

“Harry, you okay?” Zayn asked walking out of his room.

 

“Hmm?” Harry asked looking up and nearly slamming his laptop shut.

 

“You look concerned,” Zayn explained as he gave him a strange look and sat next to him.

 

“I, yeah,” Harry nodded awkwardly. “I just um, don’t understand something that’s going to be on a test.” He lied. He then bit his lower lip hoping Zayn would buy it.

 

“Email the professor. Don’t sweat it.” Zayn laughed. “Oh, and don’t slam your laptop shut unless you want it broken.”

 

“I…” Harry nodded and collected himself for a moment to prevent any stuttering. “Yeah, uh, yeah that’s a great idea. I’ll just go into my room and email him. Excuse me.”

 

Harry then tried to leave the room as casually as he could. Maybe he was overthinking it but he felt like he’d just almost been caught looking at something embarrassing.

 

Once in the safety of his room however Harry felt more comfortable and settled on his bed before pulling the email back up. He then took his time composing an email that was worded as best he could.

 

‘Louis,  

 

You said you were happy to answer any questions I have so that’s why I’m replying to your email. I was on google looking up types of BDSM punishments and I came across this website.’

 

Harry then took the time to copy and paste the website URL into the email.

 

‘Reading through this website, I find myself concerned for more than one reason. First, I didn’t realize being a submissive meant being a slave. I assumed the idea of being submissive meant you were choosing to submit to your dominant. A slave has no choice though and according to this website the ‘slave’ should know they are ‘owned’. That brings me to my second concern, being a true slave is extremely dangerous for one's mental health. Just look at these two points on that website, ‘They will work to make money for you’ and ‘No luxuries to any slaves PERIOD!’ That is a great way to destroy a person's sense of worth and value. I hope I’m misunderstanding but this certainly seems abusive and… horrible. I’m sorry. Maybe you can explain though?’

 

Harry then signed it and hit send. All he could do then was wait and hope a reply came quickly.

 

_____

 

Louis was pleased to have received an email from Harry so soon. He quite enjoyed talking to the younger lad the other afternoon and hoped to speak with him more. The contents of his email were concerning, however, as it was clear Harry had stumbled upon a toxic website.

 

He took his time to write out a thoughtful reply to the lad, doing his best to give him useful information.

 

‘Harry,    

 

Thank you for taking me up on my offer to ask me any questions you have. It’s so important that you ask me anything if you’re curious, because learning about the specifics with all these things is crucial.

 

I definitely see why you’re concerned after viewing this website. It seems to me that this site you’ve found is yet another abusive one spewing false information.

 

Being a submissive does _not_ mean you are a slave. Every submissive chooses to be one with their full consent. There are such relationships in which the Dom takes on the role of the ‘master’ and the sub takes on the role of the ‘slave,’ but these types of relationships are much more extreme (in most cases) than regular Dom/sub relationships. Even so, the ‘slave’ still provides their full consent to their ‘master.’ The information on this website seems borderline abusive to me based on what you mentioned and what I read as well. If the Dominant who wrote it has the full consent of his submissive, with the sub completely consenting to those rules the Dom listed, then the relationship is fine. But what bothers me a lot about this particular site is that this Dom seems to have his rules and he’s sticking to them. He seems to believe that all other Doms should have the same rules for their subs. As long as this Dom has a consenting sub who’s obeying these rules, there is nothing wrong with them, but I dislike how he seems to be trying to force these ideals on other Doms and subs. The rules a sub follows should be determined by each individual Dom and sub themselves.

 

Now, I do recall that you are a psychology major, so I’m not surprised that you believe that this type of relationship mentioned on the website could be damaging to one’s mental health. I would agree with you if this relationship were abusive. However, if the sub is fully consenting to this kind of relationship and the Dom is doing their job in caring for the sub correctly, there should not be any damage to one’s mental health as a result of being in this kind of relationship. So long as the Dom fulfills their purpose of caring and providing for the sub, there should be no mental health concerns.

 

I do also hope that after stumbling upon this website, you might recognize why most Doms prohibit their subs from watching pornography. Porn contains a lot of abuse, and BDSM is often incorrectly portrayed online—in both websites and porn videos. Now, I’m not your Dom, but please do be careful when searching things up. The internet can be incredibly dangerous, especially with these topics.

 

Also, I’m giving you my number below.

 

555-414-5678

 

Please do call or text me if you have anymore questions, love.

 

-Louis x’

 

Louis sat back and sighed. He really did hope Harry would call or text him if he had more questions. He didn’t want the lad to get caught up in false information he found on the internet. The best place to learn about these kinds of relationships was from someone who had direct experience with them—not from some sketchy website online. Louis didn’t see anything wrong with looking a few things up, but it was always best to be careful and as safe as possible.

 

He didn’t really have much to do today other than catch up on some last minute coursework, but he was going to save that for later. So he closed his laptop and put it on his bedside table, laying back against his pillows and closing his eyes.

 

College was making him tired as fuck.

 

And of course, just as he’d gotten comfortable, there was a knock at the door.

 

“Lou! Louis wake up! Open the door!” Liam shouted through the door before pounding on it more.

 

Louis rolled his eyes and rushed to answer the door before Liam got louder. He knew from experience that his mate would just carry on until neighbors complained.

 

“You want me evicted don’t you?” Louis asked pulling the door open. “Why even are you h–” He stopped when he realized he could answer his own question. “You need my internet again?”

 

Liam smiled a goofy grin and batted his eyes. “Yep, you know me so well.” He then stepped inside the small apartment and gave Louis a pat on the head.

 

“Fuck off. Don’t pat me.” Louis playfully rolled his eyes and kicked at Liam’s arse. “You’ll want the WiFi password and I won’t give it to you,” He warned.

 

Liam simply laughed and kicked off his shoes. “Shouldn’t threaten your Dom,” He teased and went to the sofa where he plopped down on it. “Besides, the password is ‘stopusingmywifiliamjames.’ Alll one word.”

 

“My Dom? You wish.” Louis laughed. “That’s the old password by the way. I change it often just to piss you off.” He smiled proudly as he kicked his door back and came over to the sofa.

 

“Honestly, I’d never want to be your Dom. You want a fucking commitment,” Liam replied and cringed dramatically. “No way do I want all that trouble and work.”

 

Louis shook his head and sat near his friend. “I enjoy the idea of having one sub for the rest of my life. One person to deal with instead of having to train someone new every Friday night.”

 

Liam shook his head and pulled his laptop from his bag. “If you take your time and search for the right lad you don’t have to waste your time training them. Which is why I’m here. Now, give me the password.”

 

“Give me the password please, Sir.” Louis smirked as he gave Liam a correction.

 

“I am not calling you Sir,” Liam refused.

 

“Then I’m not giving you the password.” Louis shrugged and clicked on the telly. “I’ve all day Liam James,” Louis told him, feeling very proud of himself. It wasn’t often he could box Liam into a corner.

 

“Fuck you Tomlinson. I’ll get you back for this,” He warned and then sighed in such a fashion as though he were in physical pain. “Please Sir, may I have your WiFi password?”

 

Louis laughed hard. It came out better than expected. “Fuck sake. That was amazing.” He wiped a few tears from his eyes. “Sweet sub, the password is all one word, all caps, ‘LIAMJAMESHASASMALLDICK.’”

 

Liam glared. “Oh, fuck off Tomlinson,” he muttered, shaking his head as he typed in the password. He was pleased to see it worked, but only because he was dying to get on the internet. “Almost thought you were joking.” He sighed.

 

“I’m never joking,” Louis declared with a straight face. He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow. “Alright, Payno. What is it you so desperately need my WiFi for this time?” He rolled his eyes.

 

The other Dom had just opened his browser and was already vigorously typing and clicking away. “I’m looking for a sub, you twat,” Liam told him, not taking his eyes away from his laptop screen.

 

“Of course you are,” Louis quipped, scrubbing a hand over his face in exasperation. “Li, I really wish you’d just settle down.”

 

“And what’s the fun in that?” Liam smirked, popping a crisp from the bag on the coffee table in his mouth. “Staying with one sub can just get boring, mate. It’s much more fun switching around.”

 

Louis sighed. “I guess I’ll never talk any sense into you, mate. But maybe you should just try to listen to me a bit more. I think you’d be much happier if you found a sub and stayed with them. You could develop a much closer relationship and really love each other. It’s much more than just a quick fuck.”

 

“You sound like my mum, Lou.” Liam rolled his eyes. “There’s nothing wrong with getting around. When I find the right sub, I’ll settle down.”

 

Scrubbing a hand over his face, Louis decided it would be best to change the subject. He didn’t want to piss Liam off. “Alright, mate. Whatever you say.”

 

Liam grinned at the fact that he’d gotten Louis to shut up and asked mischievously, “So, what’s going on with that little curly lad you’ve been talking to?”

 

“He’s a cute little thing. Incredibly curious. He’s a psych major, so I think that’s partly why he’s trying to understand it all. I told him he could ask me anything and he sent me an email the other night full of questions. I answered them all and gave him my number.”

 

The other Dom was listening, but he hadn’t taken his eyes off his laptop. Louis refrained from rolling his eyes. “So what’re you going to do? Are you going to fuck him?”

 

“I’m not like you are, Liam,” Louis said in exasperation. “I want to have a sub that I can love and treasure, not just fuck.”

 

“So what’s the point then? Why are you two talking? Are you just going to email back and forth forever?” Liam asked, a slightly judgmental edge to his tone.

 

“Liam, there’s more to being a Dom for me than just being in it for a good fuck,” Louis told his friend. “I want to help him. He seems like he could make such a cute sub and I don’t want him to end up getting into this kind of relationship with an abusive Dom. He needs someone who knows what they’re doing to guide him.”

 

Liam finally looked up from his laptop. “So basically what I’m hearing you say is you want to teach him and have him as your own sub eventually?” he clarified.

 

“Maybe.” Louis bit his lip. “If he _wanted_ to be my sub, of course.”

 

The other Dom leaned back into the comfy pillows on Louis’ couch. “Hmm. Interesting. Not my cup of tea, but I guess I’ll encourage you to go for it, mate. You should probably try to meet him in person rather than email him, though.”

 

“Yeah…” Louis sighed, pondering the idea. “Where though?”

 

“I don’t know. Maybe just take him to the coffee shop all the locals go to a few miles off campus. There wouldn’t be many students there and it’s pretty casual. That way you won’t scare him off by inviting him over here first thing.”

 

Louis nodded. “Yeah, I suppose I could do that. He’ll need to text me first so I’ll have a way to contact him though.”

 

“Tommo, just go ask him the next time you’re in the library. You could play up your Dom persona and I’m sure he’ll love it. Honestly, Lou, you’d be alone forever if it wasn’t for me,” Liam declared cockily and shook his head.

 

“Alright, alright. You’re right. I’ll ask him the next time I see him.”

 

Liam smirked. “Good.”

 

_____

 

Sometimes, Harry really did wish he had a flat to himself. He loved Zayn and Niall, he really did, but they could get obnoxious. It was never easy for him to relax and watch a TV show on his own, because the other two would find something to bicker about.

 

And today, their topic of choice was the last thing Harry wanted to discuss.

 

Niall was on his laptop searching up some porn while Harry watched Queer Eye. Harry knew the blond lad was doing this, but he tried to ignore it. It wasn’t like it was anything new. Things got tricky when Zayn decided to join though.

 

Being bisexual, Niall usually preferred straight porn. However, Zayn, being gay, preferred gay porn. Genders aside however, the conversation between the two grew to the point of each lad being adamant that their porn of choice was ‘better’ and ‘sexier’ than the other’s. Neither lad would let up either.

 

“Zayn, you’ve got to be kidding me. Just look how hot this is!” Niall exclaimed, shoving his laptop in the other boy’s lap.

 

“Fuck off, Niall. Het porn is disgusting enough; this one is even worse than your normal shit though.” Zayn groaned, shielding his eyes with his hands.

 

Harry sighed, rolling his eyes. Who even cared? It was all just sex anyway. Did it really matter? “Lads, can you _please_ be quiet? You’re being ridiculous.”

 

“Ridiculous is Niall thinking this video is any good.” Zayn rolled his eyes.

 

“Oh come on, if she was a dude you'd agree this is amazing,” Niall argued. “Just look, picture this chick as a lad Harry,” he said and grabbed his laptop.

 

Niall moved to sit on Zayn's other side and showed the screen to Harry.

 

Zayn rolled his eyes but leaned over to watch the screen as well. A blonde haired girl with big boobs was on her knees in front of a large man. He had two fist fulls of her hair and was shouting at her to suck harder on his cock.

 

Harry gulped hard and tried to move away a little without looking too upset. He watched as the girl began choking on the man’s length and was quickly slapped while being called a whore.

 

“I… Niall…” Harry tried not to stutter. He didn't like this for many reasons. It deeply disturbed him and he wanted it to be turned off. He couldn’t tell his mates that however. They wouldn’t understand or they’d laugh at him surely.

 

“You're upsetting him with this rubbish.” Zayn complained and grabbed the laptop. “Here Harry, look at this one and tell Niall it's better.” He clicked to another window and pressed play on a video before turning it to show Niall and Harry.

 

Harry licked his lips and tried again to not look upset or uncomfortable. He had a feeling it would end up being equally as awful and he didn't want his friends to tease him about being upset by porn.

 

On the screen a young lad was being tied to an old bed frame. There was no mattress and they seemed to be inside an old building.

 

“Too tight babe?” An obviously American man asked the smaller one as he pulled on the ropes a bit. “Color?”

 

“Everything’s fine. I'm green,” The smaller one answered.

 

“Good, I want you to be comfortable. We’re going to be here a while. You left all those candles burning. It's very dangerous. I have to make sure you won't do it again.”

 

Harry finally shook his head and looked away from the laptop. “I’ve seen enough okay?” He tried to sound annoyed instead of upset.

 

That one wasn’t nearly as bad but he couldn’t focus on it when his brain was stuck on the torture that women had been suffering. Harry thought it looked like torture anyway. It reminded him of rape in fact.

 

“See he doesn't like yours either,” Niall spat and stuck out his tongue at Zayn.

 

“I’m sorry Niall. Yours is… Even if it were two men, it's horrible. He doesn't ask for her color or consent or anything. He's not kind at all.” Harry shook his head.

 

If he had to tell them whose video was better then he at least was going to be honest. Both were very uncomfortable to watch, but Niall's had made him feel extremely uncomfortable and upset. Zayn's, however, wasn't as bad and the dominant man seemed to be kind and care about the submissive one’s comfort. It was things he could remember Louis talking about.

 

“Colors? What do you know about colors?” Zayn almost laughed a bit. “Our innocent little Harry couldn't possibly know about colors.”

 

“I know some. I, you know, I read online even though maybe I shouldn't and…” Harry stopped himself from rambling. “I know some things and I know enough to know that Niall’s video wasn't okay and I don't want to watch any more porn please.”

 

“You're just too naïve Harry. You don’t understand because you’re an innocent virgin. You’ll get it once you’ve had a proper relationship with someone,” Niall told him. He was partially upset Harry hadn’t liked his video best but he was still trying to be nice.

 

“Actually, I don’t think Harry would enjoy it more if he were less innocent but I do think he’d understand more and be a better judge if he weren’t such a sweet little virgin school lad,” Zayn spoke and closed the laptop before giving it back to Niall.

 

“We just need to find Harry a solid cock to ride.” Niall smirked.

 

Zayn laughed loudly but Harry’s face flushed bright red. “Okay, stop. Now you’re going too far. Sorry Harry. We’ll behave.”

 

“Thanks, um, I just, I’m gonna go have a nap or something.” Harry ruffled his hair and excused himself to his room before either lad could reply. He really needed his own place.

 

Once inside his room with the door shut and locked he paced around a moment. He knew it was just a video but that had honestly left him feeling really upset. He couldn’t stop thinking about that poor woman in the video. Calling her those words while hitting her like that and after she had been choking wasn’t okay.

 

Harry wanted to feel better. He had the desire to turn to someone to help him, but who could he turn to? The only person he knew might understand was Louis. He was afraid he’d be bothering him right now but maybe he could just try a quick little text.

 

He checked his email for the number again and put it into a new text message. He then typed out a few different messages before settling on something simple, ‘ _Louis? This is Harry. I’m really sorry if I’m bothering you with this text.’_ He then hit send and threw himself into his bed where he grabbed his pillow and held it close to his chest.

 

Thankfully, Louis answered quickly. ‘ _You’re not bothering me at all, love. What’s wrong?’_

 

Harry was shocked that the Dom could tell something wasn’t right. However, he wasn’t about to admit that he was feeling pretty upset. So he just went for it. ‘ _Nothing’s wrong. I just wanted to talk if that’s okay?’_

 

He figured Louis probably knew he was lying, but that wasn’t important right now. He didn’t want to open up and tell him what had happened just yet because it was _embarrassing._ It was stupid and Louis probably wouldn’t want to deal with his vulnerability. Right?

 

 _‘Of course it’s okay, love. What would you like to talk about?’_ Louis replied.

 

Harry breathed a sigh of relief. Louis wasn’t pushing him. ‘ _Anything,’_ he decided to write back. He really just needed Louis’ comfort right now.

 

He had to wait a few minutes for a response, but one eventually came. ‘ _How would you like to meet at The Daily Grind across the street from campus in about an hour? We can talk there. I’ll pick you up at the library.’_

 

The lad was quite shocked with Louis’ reply. He hadn’t expected the older boy to care so much about talking to him that he’d suggest they meet in person.

 

Hesitantly, Harry wrote back, ‘ _Sounds perfect. See you soon :)’_ He was eager to get to know Louis better and learn from him, but he was a bit nervous about opening up to him. It would be interesting to see where their meeting took them.


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! 
> 
> First of all, we are so sorry for the long wait! We’ve had this chapter written for awhile but didn’t want to post until we had more written. Hopefully we’ll continue to do this so we don’t get too behind! 
> 
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> 
> We hope you enjoy! <3

Harry now stood in the library anxiously, shifting from foot-to-foot. He kept checking his phone to see if he had any new messages from Louis, sighing every time he didn’t. He _had_ arrived fifteen minutes early, but he just didn’t want to make Louis wait. 

 

His phone pinged with a text finally, making the lad scramble to retrieve it from his pocket. _‘Coming inside, love,’_ the text read. Quickly, Harry replied, ‘ _Okay :)’_ and shoved his phone in his pocket. He tried to appear nonchalant, wanting to look casual and like he wasn’t inwardly freaking out on top of being upset still.

 

He spotted Louis waltzing inside the library, wearing tight skinny jeans and a black jean jacket. Harry, of course, thought he looked incredibly hot, but he wasn’t going to tell the older lad that. 

 

“Hi, love,” Louis greeted, a soft smile on his face. “Cute outfit. Ready to go?” He smirked. 

 

Harry blushed at the compliment, nodding shyly. “Um, thanks, yeah. I mean, Yes.”

 

Much to Harry’s surprise, Louis placed a hand on the small of his back as he guided him out of the library. Harry did his best to contain his obvious blush, but he knew there really was no hiding it. 

 

Louis led him to his car that was parked right outside the building and unlocked it, telling him to get in the passenger seat. 

 

Harry felt slightly awkward being alone in the car with Louis, and he still couldn’t stop thinking about what idiotic Zayn and Niall had shown him. But Louis prompted him out of his thoughts. 

 

“How’s your day been, love?” He asked, still staring ahead at the road. 

 

The younger lad did his best not to squirm. “Um, okay, I guess,” he said quietly, fiddling with his fingers. 

 

Louis new that Harry was often shy and a bit awkward but something felt off this time. It felt less shy and more quiet. Perhaps even a bit like he was hiding something.

 

“Oh, just a boring day at home?” Louis asked him hoping to get a better feel on where Harry’s head was.

 

“Yeah, I mean, I guess.” Harry felt like he was lying even though he wasn’t entirely. The day had been boring until the little incident with Zayn and Niall.

 

“So then you’re just hoping I’ll help with your boredom?” He gave a bit of a laugh in hopes Harry would relax more and be a bit more open. He didn’t want to assume Harry was upset. He wanted to be sure.

 

Harry began to reply with a ‘yes’ thinking it would be a happier reply than the truth. It was a lie and sounded rude, though, so he changed what he was going to say quickly and replied, “I wouldn’t use those words exactly. I um, I guess I just needed someone to talk to. Maybe that’s a better explanation. Just feeling a bit lonely and was hoping we could get to know one another better?”

 

“Nothing’s bothering you, then? You just wanted to work on making friends with me?” Louis pressed with a slightly more suspicious tone, and Harry began to know that the older lad most likely could see right through him. 

 

Harry was a terrible liar. 

 

“Um,” he replied, trying to sound convincing. “I’m fine.” He bit his lip, awaiting Louis’ response. 

 

“We can talk more about it at the coffee shop,” Louis concluded with finality, obviously able to tell Harry wasn’t telling the truth. “All right?”

 

Harry blushed. He’d been caught. “Um, yeah. Okay.” He promptly fell silent and didn’t speak anymore, now worried Louis was cross with him. He hoped he hadn’t angered the older lad by not being the most honest he could’ve been. 

 

When Louis pulled into a parking spot right in front of the cute little cafe nearby, Harry didn’t make a move to open his door and get out, waiting for direction from Louis. 

 

Louis turned the car off and directed his gaze to Harry. “Ready to go in, love?” he asked, a faint look of amusement on his face at the fact that Harry was so adorably awkward. 

 

“Um, yes,” Harry said quietly, avoiding Louis’ gaze. Why was he so embarrassing? 

 

Louis held the door for Harry, making the boy blush even more and thank him quietly. Inside, the shop wasn’t too busy, which Harry was thankful for. He wanted as much privacy as they could get. 

 

“Why don’t you go pick out a place for us to sit while I order, yeah?” Louis suggested. “What do you want?”

 

Harry internally panicked because he couldn’t have Louis pay for his coffee. This wasn’t a date and he didn’t want to be rude. “Um, just a black coffee. And I’ll give you some money. You don’t have to pay for me.” He reached into his pocket to get his wallet, but Louis placed a gentle hand on his wrist. 

 

“It’s all right, love. I’ll buy you a coffee. My treat,” he assured. “Now go pick out a place to sit.”

 

Harry reluctantly nodded, feeling bad about Louis spending money on him. But he didn’t want to argue. So, he turned around and scanned the coffee shop, looking for the ideal place to sit. There was a small table for two in the back corner by itself, which he thought looked perfect and private, so he chose that one and sat down. 

 

He didn’t have to wait long for Louis to spot him and sit across from him. “Here’s your coffee, love.” He smiled brightly and handed him his cup. “Be careful. It’s hot.”

 

“Thank you, Louis,” Harry said shyly. “You didn’t have to spend money on me.”

 

“I wanted to,” Louis replied simply. “Now, how about we talk about why you wanted to chat.” 

 

Harry bit his lip a moment. His anxiety was growing now. “I’m, I’m sorry I lied a bit.” He stuttered out with a frown. “I just, was feeling unpleasant feelings and you’re the first person that came to mind.”

 

That was the truth without giving away too much. Harry couldn’t just spill all his cares and worries to Louis right now. If he wanted to be a friend to him then he had to be happy right? People like being around happy people. 

 

“I want you to feel comfortable talking to me, Harry,” Louis told the boy sincerely. “I’m glad you felt comfortable enough to ask to chat, but you don’t need to hide anything from me. I’m not saying I need to know everything about you, but I want you to be okay with sharing anything you’re willing to share with me.”

 

Harry nodded, biting his lip. He looked down at his coffee cup and decided to take a sip to stall. He didn’t really know what to say. 

 

“Do you want to talk about what was causing these unpleasant feelings you mentioned?” Louis asked cautiously. “Because I want to help you, love.”

 

“Louis,” Harry almost sighed. “I want to talk about it, but I don’t want you to think I’m problematic.” He licked his lips nervously. Being honest felt good but it wasn’t exactly easy to be open. He worried a bit too much what Louis would think. He liked being around Louis.

 

“Anything that bothers or upsets you is perfectly valid, Harry. Having feelings doesn’t make you problematic at all. It’s best to be open about things so others can help you. I know it’s hard, but there’s no way for me to help you if you’re not open with me,” Louis told him. 

 

Harry frowned again as visuals flashed in his mind from that porn Niall showed him. He bit his lip again when he felt a stinging of tears in his eyes. Quickly, he shook his head so the feeling would go away.

 

He took a shaky breath and avoided eye contact as he began to explain. “I was just on the sofa watching Queer Eye. I was keeping to myself. Niall was watching porn right there on his laptop like he always does. It's gross but I'm used to it you know? Everything was fine until Zayn sat down.”

 

“And are Niall and Zayn your roommates?” Louis asked, wanting to have a clear sense of the story. 

 

Harry nodded, looking down at his coffee cup again. He couldn’t believe he was actually getting brave enough to share this with Louis. 

 

“I see. So what happened once Zayn sat down, hmm?” Louis pressed gently, his voice calm. 

 

“I don't know how,” Harry swallowed hard. “I don't know how the conversation got started because I was really into the show but at some point they started arguing loudly and next thing I knew I was being asked which of two porns was better. Zayn had one with two lads. I only saw the very start where a dominant was about to punish a submissive. He was being careful with him. Asked him if the ropes were too tight and what his color was. Zayn’s was okay…”

 

Harry purposely trailed off. He wanted to hint that the other porn wasn't okay without having to actually say it. He was embarrassed about it having upset him.

 

“And Niall’s?” Louis asked, his face stoic. He didn’t want to push Harry, so he made sure to keep his voice calm and gentle. 

 

Harry couldn’t exactly tell what the man was thinking, but he knew he wasn’t happy with the situation Harry had been put in. 

 

Harry felt the sting return to his eyes as he remembered the video. He tried biting his lip once again but it didn't work this time. A tear rolled down his face and he shook his head before looking up at Louis finally.

 

He sniffled and spoke softly so he could try to control the crying, “It was horrible. It was so horrible Louis. She was choking on him. Her eyes were all red and watery so she was really choking. He didn't seem to care though. He just slapped her and called her… He called her a…” 

 

Harry felt more tears rolled down his face, “Please don't make me repeat the names.”

 

“Love, it’s okay. I don’t need you to say the names. There’s no need for tears, yeah? You’re okay,” Louis tried to comfort Harry. “It wasn’t your fault you saw that video. Niall and Zayn pressured you, and that was wrong of them to do. I’m sorry you had to see that, love.”

 

Harry wiped under his eyes with a napkin, feeling even more embarrassed. Louis probably thought he was being a huge baby. 

 

“Like I’ve told you before, there are a lot of abusive porn videos online. That’s why most Dominants don’t want their submissives to look at it. It’s unhealthy and can seriously affect your mental health. I hope that your friends don’t ever pressure you into watching that filth again.” Louis shook his head in disgust. “Did you express how you felt about the videos to them, love?”

 

He forced himself to take another sip of the coffee. He didn't want to waste it. “Not entirely. I told Niall his was horrible and not okay. I pointed out that the man didn't get her consent or ask her color. I said I didn't want to watch any more porn but, no Louis. I didn't tell them completely how I felt about it all.”

 

“That’s okay,” Louis assured. “You’re not able to control what they watch and don’t watch. As long as you don’t have to see it then it shouldn’t affect you. But I do think it would be good if they would at least keep these kinds of things to themselves. They shouldn’t be upsetting you like that.”

 

Harry nodded and sighed, he still felt upset. “I wanted to make sure they understood that I didn't want to see it ever again but I couldn't. I was so embarrassed about being upset and they were teasing me about being too naïve and innocent. All I could do was just excuse myself to my room. That's when I sent you the text.”

 

“Well, you did the right thing by removing yourself from the situation. If anyone ever makes you upset that’s the best thing to do,” Louis told him, making Harry smile because at least he’d done something right. “And I want you to know that there’s nothing wrong with being ‘naive’ or ‘innocent.’ Honestly, it’s better to be naive or innocent and learn from someone who can teach you the correct, non-abusive things about these relationships.”

 

“I’m really glad I texted you,” Harry confessed. “Still feeling kind of upset though. I mean, Louis, that video was horrible, and Zayn seemed to know I was upset, but he didn't stop the teasing until Niall made a comment about…” He pursed his lips and blushed before whispering as he looked down, “...about needing to find a, you know, for me to r–ride.”

 

“It sounds like you probably should find some better friends,” Louis commented, angry with the fact that they had treated Harry so horribly. “It’s not ever right for anyone to try to make you feel badly about your sex life or sexual experiences. That’s only your business and no one else’s. Try not to let them treat you like that again, love. It’s not right.”

 

Harry nodded solemnly. “Maybe I should. I don't know. I mean, we haven't exactly reached friendship status anyway. We only just met when we were roomed together,” He explained.

 

“I um…” Harry tried not to be nervous. He tried to not worry and just speak. “I hope we are becoming, fr–friends though. I like talking to you and… It's all only if you want though.”

 

Louis smiled. “Of course we’re friends, Harry. I know you need someone and I’m happy to be there for you. I think we’ll build a really strong relationship.”

 

Harry smiled, too. “I… I hope so, Lou,” he replied, then stopped himself when he realized what he’d done. “I mean—”

 

The older lad laughed. “It’s okay. That’s cute. I’ll be Lou and you’ll be Hazza.” He grinned, reaching out and ruffling Harry’s curls. 

 

Harry giggled, his dimples popping out. He loved how it felt when Louis touched his hair, which caused him to unconsciously lean into the touch. When he realized what he was doing, though, he blushed and apologized profusely. “Um, I’m sorry. Didn’t, uh, didn’t mean to do that.” 

 

“You enjoy having your hair touched, hmm?” Louis asked, a sense of fondness in his tone. 

 

“Um, I’ve never really… had anyone other than my family and uh, a barber touch my hair before,” Harry said shyly. “So I guess I… like it,” he admitted quietly, blushing. 

 

Louis smirked, not taking his hand away from Harry’s hair just yet. “If you enjoy having your hair played with this much, then I’m sure it’ll be even better once you find someone you trust to learn about these relationships with.” He ruffled his curls one more time and pulled back. 

 

Harry felt himself blushing and at the same time he could feel himself relaxing slightly. It allowed him to speak a bit more openly. “That would require finding someone with an interest like that in me though. I'm shy. I'm awkward. I'm intrigued by Doms and subs. Those are turn offs for a lot of guys. Besides, you’re the first person here at school I've come to trust at all. I mean, you're the only person I wanted to turn to when that porn upset me.”

 

“I’m glad you feel like you can trust me,” Louis told him honestly. “That truly makes me feel good. It’s important for you to have someone you can trust. I don’t want to sound forward but I do want you to know that I’m happy to help you with anything I can.”

 

Harry shifted in his seat. “What do you mean… exactly? Like, um, help me understand and maybe uh…” Harry lowered his voice to a whisper on the last bit, “...explore all this submissive stuff?”

 

“If that’s what you wanted then I’d be happy to do that for you,” Louis said simply. 

 

Harry squirmed again. “I–I mean… I really do want to learn, but… I don’t want you to feel like you have to or–or anything.”

 

“I want to help you if you want my help,” Louis elaborated. “But it’s completely up to you. I’m just letting you know that the option is out there, yeah?”

 

Harry nodded, biting his lip. “I… I guess we could tr–try? And um, see what happens? Go really slow.”

 

Louis smiled and reached out to squeeze Harry’s hand. “If that’s what you’d like to do, then we definitely can.”

 

“I,” Harry licked his lips and swallowed a small lump in his throat. He was both excited and nervous. “I’m a tad bit anxious but y-yeah. I'd be comfortable with you; I know I would. I just would want to go slow.”

 

“That’s fine, love,” Louis assured him. “We could do that. But I need to know before we start discussing anything else if you’re a virgin or not. I’m assuming you are but I just need to know because it makes a difference in how these things work.”

 

Harry blushed and nodded. “I… I am. But, um, we wouldn’t… have to do anything sex–sexual, right? I just… don’t think I’m quite ready for that right now.”

 

Louis shook his head. “Of course not. We wouldn’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. Everything we do would be consensual and agreed upon by the both of us. I promise, love.”

 

“Okay,” Harry agreed. “T–Thank you, Louis.”

 

“Of course. But before we fully get into anything, I want you to take 24 hours and think about if you _really_ want to get into this with me. It won’t always be easy; being a sub is challenging and so is being a Dom. I’ll be gentle, but I’ll also be strict. That’s just how I prefer to be as a Dom and what works best for me. So I just need you to go back to your flat and think about this, yeah?”

 

Harry nodded, trying not to squirm. Louis had kind of indirectly given him his first order, and he definitely liked it. “Okay. I will, Louis,” he assured the older lad. 

 

“Good. I want you to call me when you’ve decided. And then we’ll go from there.”

 

“Okay.” Harry nodded. 

 

Louis smiled. “All right. Before I drive you back: are you feeling better now? Is anything still bothering you?” he asked. 

 

“I feel a lot better now,” Harry told him truthfully. “Talking with you, uh, helped me a lot. Thank you.” He blushed again. 

 

“That’s what I’m here for,” Louis told him, standing up. “C’mon, I’ll drive you back, love.” Harry followed after him, knowing this interaction was probably only the first of many. 

**Author's Note:**

> We hope you enjoyed! Please consider leaving a comment and/or kudos, as they really keep us going and make us even more excited to write! :)


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